Welcome to NurtureStore’s index of children’s art activities organised by material.
Children’s art activities organised by material
In this section of our art resources you will find children’s art activities organised by material. This helps you find great art projects for your children whether you want to use what you have on hand, introduce a new material, deep dive on a favourite material of theirs, or build a rich art curriculum that has projects for a wide variety of materials.
All NurtureStore’s art activities use simple materials and are suitable for children of all ages. Our art projects have have been tried and tested by real kids in our art workshops, through homeschool and as families, so we know they really work.
Use the links below to find children’s art activities organised by material including paint, paper, card, pens, natural materials, recyclables, clay, play dough, fabric, glue and much more.
This article is part of our children’s art lessons and craft activities.
Table of Contents
– ready-made art curricula
– art journal
– cardboard boxes
– cement
– chalk
– clay
– collage / mixed media
– contact paper
– fabric
– flowers
– foil
– glue
– ice
– oil pastels
– mess-free
– natural materials
– paint
– paper / card
– paper plates
– paper rolls
– pens and pencils
– play dough
– puffy paint
– rocks
– salt dough
– shaving foam
– shells
– tape
– tissue paper
– toys
– twigs
– watercolour paints
– wax crayons
– willow
– yarn
Ready-made art lessons, all in one place
The best and easiest way to teach great art lessons is to use our ready-made art curricula. Choose from:
Art Spark: This kit gives you everything you need to get started with art and develop a rich and creative art practice with your children. 30+ inspiring process art projects, famous art, world culture, practical tips, and endless possibilities! See more and get your copy here.
Exploring Great Artists: This book gives you everything you need to teach an exciting art program inspired by the great artists of the world. With profiles of each artist, materials lists, lesson plans, and creative, hands-on art projects for every featured artist you’ll easily be able to deliver engaging and educational art lessons. See more and get your copy here.
Diversify Your Art Curriculum: This art curriculum bundle of five ebooks gives you everything you need to teach 25 art projects inspired by contemporary artists of colour from four continents. See more and get your copy here.
Color Theory Art Lessons: This curriculum gives you all the resources you need to learn about the color wheel and color theory and enjoy hands-on, easy, creative art projects for every lesson. It includes art history, famous artist profiles, and wider cross-curricular lessons in science, math, language arts and world culture, plus bonus printables and posters. See more and get your copy here.
Children’s art activities organised by material
Use our archive of children’s art activities organised by material to find great projects for your children to enjoy.
Art journals
Art journalling ideas
How to use an art journal with children.
How to make a nature journal
This ultimate guide to nature journals for children is full of ideas you can use to make your own nature journal, start a nature study, and explore the natural world.
Cardboard boxes
Cardboard box winter wonderland
Turn a simple cardboard box into a fabulous Winter Wonderland for lots of creative imaginary play and storytelling.
Cardboard box fairy land
Ideas to turn a cardboard box in to a fairy land.
Cardboard box light-up small world
Embrace the dark nights and welcome the winter by using these ideas to make a fairy land light table – wonderful for imaginative, sensory play.
Cardboard box jungle / savannah
Bring in the lions and tigers and make a cardboard box jungle or savannah.
Cardboard box boat
How to make a cardboard box boat for sailors or pirates.
Cardboard box fish tank
How to make a cardboard aquarium.
Cardboard box train
How to turn a cardboard box into a ride-on train.
Cardboard box play house
How to turn a cardboard box into a play house.
Chalk
Chalk paint
This homemade chalk paint recipe is ever so easy to make and gives a great sensory play material for kids art – indoors or out.
Printmaking with chalk
Try this easy printing making art lesson and use chalk to make one-of-a-kind monoprints.
Drawing with chalk
For a great process art activity with children, let’s explore how to use chalks.
Outdoor chalk play mat
Set up some outdoor imaginary play by using chalk to draw your own play town.
Clay / cement / salt dough
Clay modelling
Let’s learn about the famous African American artist Augusta Savage and make clay animals inspired by her.
Human figures
Join this art lesson for children to learn about the sculptor Alberto Giacometti. We’ll have fun with a quick human figure sketching activity and then we’ll create foil sculptures of people.
Clay faces
Here’s a fantastic outdoor art idea that’s perfect for forest school. We’re using natural materials found in the forest to make clay faces on tree trunks.
Decorative garden tiles
How to use cement and found materials to create decorative garden tiles.
Clay diya lamp craft for Diwali
Learn how to make a diya lamp: an easy craft for Diwali using air drying clay and a pinch pot technique.
Clay animals
Let’s learn about the famous African American artist Augusta Savage and make clay sculptures inspired by her.
Salt dough candle holders
This Valentine craft uses a recipe for colored salt dough to make some pretty heart-shaped candle holders. It combines reading, math, fine motor skills and sensory exploring to make a lovely gift.
Homemade clay heart garlands
A great homemade clay recipe that you can use to make decorative garlands.
Homemade clay snowflake mobile
A variation on our homemade clay recipe for a winter decoration.
Clay cat faces
These cute cats are fun to make from air-drying clay and can be decorated with paint and marker pens.
Native American petroglyphs
Learn about the Native American art of petroglyphs and create art inspired by them.
Contact paper/ sticky-backed plastic
Contact paper daffodils
This easy daffodil craft made with contact paper is so bright and cheery. It combines collage with fine motor skills to create a daffodil suncatcher.
Contact paper magic wand
How to make a magic wishing wand craft.
Contact paper Star of David
Here’s a pretty and easy Hanukkah craft for little kids to make.
Contact paper Ramadan lantern
Here’s an ever-so-pretty, easy Ramadan lantern craft which comes with a printable lantern template.
Contact paper sunshine
Use this sun template printable to make a gorgeously easy sun craft to celebrate the solstice with children.
Contact paper pumpkin
Here’s an easy pumpkin suncatcher craft with a printable pumpkin template that’s simple to make and so pretty. It’s a great, simple pumpkin craft for toddlers and preschoolers, and perfect for a group.
Collage / mixed media
Easy shapes collage
A great beginners project, exploring shape, glue and collage.
Mixed media collage
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist John Piper. We’ll look at some of Piper’s famous paintings that use collage and create our own mixed media collage art projects.
Painting on texture
Explore the different results you can get when you paint on textured surfaces.
Gingerbread house collage
Here’s a super cute and easy gingerbread house craft that introduces children to using glue to create a collage.
Day of the Dead sugar skull collage
This easy collage art project invites children to learn about the Day of the Dead as they create their own sugar skull craft.
Vincent Van Gogh collage sunflowers
In this Van Gogh sunflower art project for children we will learn about famous art inspired by sunflowers, also including work by O’Keeffe, Matisse, and Klimt, and create our own sunflower art projects.
Easter egg collages
Here’s a great idea for an Easter creation station which invites the children to glue, stick, paint, tear and create to their hearts content.
Henri Matisse Cutouts
This Cutouts art project for children, based on the work of Henri Matisse, is a great kids art activity linked to famous art. Matisse’s expert use of bold colour and simple materials make him a perfect great artist for children to learn about, and they can try out his ground-breaking style of ‘painting with scissors’.
Fabric
Quilting
Let’s learn about the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama and try our own simple quilt project.
Sew a doll
How to sew a toy doll from your child’s art.
Super hero cape
How to sew a simple super hero cape.
Peg doll puppets
How to make simple peg doll puppets and use them for storytelling.
Flowers
Flower manadalas
Combine natural, sensory materials, art, math and a little meditation and make some pretty flower mandala designs.
Still life painting
In this daffodil art lesson we will look at famous art featuring daffodils, learn about still life art, and create our own daffodil paintings.
Flower and leaf printing
Let’s make nature prints using leaves and flowers.
Foil
Painting on foil
Here’s one of our favourite simple art ideas: painting on foil, which is lots of fun, great for sensory play, and creates gorgeous collaborative art.
Foil fish
This foil fish craft is great as part of an ‘under the sea’ theme or as seaside art. The foil presents children with an interesting material to paint on and you can make a whole ocean full of their designs.
Alberto Giacometti art lesson
Join this art lesson for children to learn about the sculptor Alberto Giacometti. We’ll have fun with a quick human figure sketching activity and then we’ll create foil sculptures of people.
Glue
Painting on salt and glue
Explore the gorgeous process art technique of salt, glue and watercolor painting to make beautiful snowflake art.
Easy shapes collage
A great beginners project, exploring shape, glue and collage.
Mixed media collage
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist John Piper. We’ll look at some of Piper’s famous paintings that use collage and create our own mixed media collage art projects.
Ice
Frozen paint
To encourage creativity and sensory play, let’s explore painting with ice.
Ice painting
Have you tried to paint on ice? It’s a great winter art project to try with your children, mixing in some sensory play and science to create gorgeous patterns.
Snow painting
When the weather permits, try painting on snow.
Ice sculptures
Explore freezing, melting and construction as you build colourful ice sculptures.
Oil pastels
Surface pattern design
Learn about pattern and line in art and draw a cat in the style of Laurel Burch. Includes a free pattern and line art handout printable.
Wax crayon or oil pastel scratch art
Scratch art is a classic children’s art project that everyone should try. It’s really simple to set up and uses wax crayons or oil pastels which are a good, sensory art material.
Wassily Kandinsky circles
Let’s learn about the famous artist Wassily Kandinsky and make our own version of his famous Kandinsky circles picture, exploring colour theory and oil pastels.
Mess-free
Natural materials
Homemade paint brushes
Try a new creative challenge: set down your usual paint brushes and try something different instead! Follow these ideas to make your own paint brushes using natural materials and things you have around the home.
Forest school mandalas
Let’s celebrate nature and create outdoor art with these forest school mandala activities.
Homemade stamps
Here’s a creative and easy printing making lesson for children using homemade art stamps.
Flower and leaf printing
Let’s make nature prints using leaves and flowers.
Printmaking with mushroom spore prints
Learn about the structure of fungi and use them to create art as we make spore prints from mushrooms. A fun and fascinating nature art and science project!
Clay faces
Here’s a fantastic outdoor art idea that’s perfect for forest school. We’re using natural materials found in the forest to make clay faces on tree trunks.
Paper / Card
3D paper houses
This lesson on how to fold a paper house offers a printable folding guide.
3D paper lanterns
These easy paper house lanterns are so pretty and lead the way into exploring math and art, where you live, and architecture around the world. Download our free printable house template and customise to make your own gorgeous paper houses.
Finger puppets
How to make simple finger puppets
Rod puppets
Let’s make puppets! In this art lesson we’ll learn how puppets are made and how they have been used around the world throughout history. Then we’ll create our own easy rod puppets using mixed media.
Woven paper basket
Based on a traditional Scandinavian craft this woven heart basket makes a great decoration or little bag.
Paper plates
Paper plate Easter basket
This paper plate Easter basket craft is really simple to make, but ever so pretty! And each child can add their own art to the design.
Paper plate menorah
Here’s a fun Hanukkah craft to make with children: an easy paper plate menorah craft.
Paper plate diya lamp for Diwali
Here’s an easy diya lamp craft that children can make for Diwali, using our diya lamp printable or a paper plate.
Paper plate bird
Gather your collage materials and have fun making this easy paper plate bird craft.
Paper plate musical shaker
Turn a simple paper plate into a colourful, noisy, musical shaker.
Paper plate spring wreath
This paper plate spring wreath is great for toddlers and preschool. It’s easy to make and ever so pretty!
Paper plate moon and stars
This paper plate moon and stars is a pretty but easy to make Ramadan craft for kids.
Paper plate dinosaur
Here’s a super cute and easy to make dinosaur craft using just a paper plate and a toilet roll tube.
Paper rolls / toilet rolls / cardboard tubes
Paper roll puppets
Here’s a super easy, quick and creative idea for a kids craft that’s fun to make and even better to play with – tea party puppets!
Paper roll angel craft
Ever so simple, and ever so pretty: here’s how to make a Christmas angel craft.
Paper roll Father Christmas craft
This is a lovely Christmas craft for toddlers and preschoolers, as it’s so easy to do they can make it with just a little grown up help.
Paper roll penguin craft
Add this easy penguin craft, made from paper rolls, to our unit learning about snow and ice. They make a great homemade penguin play set for our Antarctica lesson plans.
Paper roll Easter bunny
Here’s a super cute Easter bunny craft idea that’s easy to make and works great filled with little Easter treats or as puppets for some imaginary play.
Paper roll Halloween lanterns
These glow in the dark Halloween lanterns are easy to make and look fantastic when they are lit up.
Pretend watches
We can help our children learn by adding play, imagination and fun to our activities. Here’s how to make a pretend watch to learn how to tell the time.
Paint
Finger painting
Try these easy homemade finger paint recipes for babies and toddlers and introduce your little ones to the wonderful world of sensory process art.
Homemade puffy paint
This homemade puffy paint recipe is really quick and easy to make. With just four household ingredients, you’ll be ready for some fun art and sensory play in minutes.
Homemade scented paint
This homemade paint recipe with spices is as much a delight for the nose as the eyes. It’s super easy to make and great for both sunny days when you’re painting outdoors, or dark days when your senses need a boost.
Bath paint
This homemade bath paint recipe has just two ingredients and you can make it in seconds. You could whip some up for bath time tonight!
Chalk paint
This homemade chalk paint recipe is ever so easy to make and gives a great sensory play material for kids art – indoors or out.
Flick painting
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist Jackson Pollock. We’ll look at some of Pollocks’s famous paintings created using action art and make our own Jackson Pollock inspired art project using flick painting.
Scrape painting
This scrape painting lesson is a fun and creative process-art lesson and a great introduction to screen printing for kids.
Squeegee painting
This is a super fun process art project for children to explore: we’re making squeegee paintings!
Pipette painting
Painting with pipettes is a fun process art project that combines sensory play, art and science.
Painting on salt and glue
Explore the gorgeous process art technique of salt, glue and watercolor painting to make beautiful snowflake art.
Watercolour painting
Join in with this easy watercolour painting lesson for children to explore five simple watercolour techniques. This is an easy STEAM lesson that combines art and science. It encourages children to explore process art, and to think like a creative scientist and a scientific creative. It’s the perfect beginner lesson in watercolours for children.
Frozen paint
To encourage creativity and sensory play, let’s explore painting with ice
Gravity painting
In this art and science lesson we are using gravity to paint pictures.
Splatter painting
Let’s explore shilhouettes and negative space and make splatter paintings.
Bubble painting
Drinking straws at the ready, let’s try bubble painting!
Painting with the rain
Here’s an unusual art activity about the weather – we’re painting with the rain.
Still life painting
In this daffodil art lesson we will look at famous art featuring daffodils, learn about still life art, and create our own daffodil paintings.
Funnel pour painting
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the artist Janet Sobel. We’ll look at some of Sobel’s famous abstract expressionist paintings and make our own Janet Sobel inspired process art project using pour painting.
Homemade paint brushes
Try a new creative challenge: set down your usual paint brushes and try something different instead! Follow these ideas to make your own paint brushes using natural materials and things you have around the home.
Homemade watercolour paints
Here’s several ideas for how to make homemade watercolour paint recipes, with links to examples of famous art that use paint made from natural ingredients.
Spray painting
Here’s a super fun outdoor art idea from the Just So Festival: using water pistols for spray painting!
Painting on texture
Explore the different results you can get when you paint on textured surfaces.
Snow painting
When the weather permits, try painting on snow.
Ice painting
Have you tried to paint on ice? It’s a great winter art project to try with your children, mixing in some sensory play and science to create gorgeous patterns.
Yarn painting
This yarn painting process art idea is a great sensory project, combining the texture of the yarn with colourful paints.
George Seurat pointillism
Let’s learn about the painting technique pointillism and create art inspired by the famous French artist, Georges Seurat.
Symmetry printing
Let’s use a simple symmetry printing technique to make butterflies in the math and art STEAM activity.
Monoprinting #1
This easy mono printing art project for children is so fun to try. Find out how to make your own DIY stamps and try this beginners printing project to create your own work of art.
Monoprinting #2
Here’s a gorgeously easy monoprint project for children from Barbara Rucci’s super new book Art Workshop for Children.
Colour theory
In this easy color theory lesson children can learn about the color wheel, mix their own colors, and go on a colour hunt through examples of famous art.
Yayoi Kusama dots art lesson
Let’s learn about the Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, and create art inspired by her famous dots.
James McNeill Whistler – mixing tints, tones and shades
Use this easy monochrome art lesson to teach your children how to mix tints, tones and shades using paint and create a monochrome painting inspired by James McNeill Whistler.
Pens and pencils
Math pattern design
Explore colour and pattern with this math and art STEAM lesson.
Doodling
Here’s an easy pumpkin art lesson that anyone can try – we’re doodling!
Joan Miró patterns and motifs
Let’s learn about the famous artist Joan Miró and create designs inspired by his patterns and motifs.
Christmas tree tessellation
This is a great Christmas themed math and art lesson about tessellation. It’s great as a whole class project.
Marc Chagall skyline
Join this famous art lesson for children to learn about the painter Marc Chagall. We’ll look at some of Chagall’s famous paintings of Paris and create our own Paris skyline art project.
Keith Haring graffiti art
Use this Keith Haring art lesson with your children as a Pride art lesson, graffiti art lesson, pop art lesson, and to explore how art can be activism. It’s a quick and easy art lesson that only needs marker pens, making it accessible to everyone.
Clementine Hunter drawing project
In this famous art lesson for children we will learn about the art of Clementine Hunter and take inspiration from her work to create our own day-in-the-life art project.
Esther Mahlangu pattern art
In this famous artist lesson children will meet Esther Mahlangu and learn about African art. We’ll learn about Ndebele culture and create our own Esther Mahlangu-inspired art.
Warm and cool colors disco ball
Learn about warm and cool color theory, see how artists use this color theory in their work and enjoy creating your own warm and cool color study.
Play dough
Play dough art and mark making
Use these ideas to make art with play dough.
Playdough mandalas
Make play dough mandalas using natural materials.
Play dough sculptures
Use our design challenge cards and see what you can make from play dough.
More play dough activities
See our full archive of play dough activities here.
Puffy paint
Homemade puffy paint
This homemade puffy paint recipe is really quick and easy to make. With just four household ingredients, you’ll be ready for some fun art and sensory play in minutes.
Salt dough
Homemade coloured salt dough
This Valentine craft uses a recipe for colored salt dough to make some pretty heart-shaped candle holders. It combines reading, math, fine motor skills and sensory exploring to make a lovely gift.
Salt dough candle holders Diwali craft
Use this recipe for salt dough to make simple candle holders, a pretty and easy Diwali crafts for children.
Shaving foam
Marbling with shaving foam
Marbling using shaving foam is such a wonderful process art activity for children. It’s a very simple technique and the results are unique with each print.
Bath paint
This homemade bath paint recipe has just two ingredients and you can make it in seconds. You could whip some up for bath time tonight!
Homemade puffy paint
This homemade puffy paint recipe is really quick and easy to make. With just four household ingredients, you’ll be ready for some fun art and sensory play in minutes.
Rocks
Stone cairns
Try building stone cairns: combining natural materials, loose parts, construction play and just a little added dash of wow-factor!
Story stones
How to illustrate story stones for storytelling and loose parts play.
Shells
Shell mandalas
These shell mandalas are a great lesson in math and art.
Shell fairy houses
Where do fairies go on holiday? To stay in seashell cottages by the sea! Here’s a sweet little craft idea that turns into imaginary play and storytelling.
Shell mobile
Such a pretty seaside craft for kids, and a lovely memento of a beach holiday: here’s how to make a shell mobile.
Tape
Washi tape resist art
This watercolour washi tape resist art is great for all ages of children. The technique is really simple and produces an exciting ‘big reveal’ at the end.
Tissue paper
Tissue paper printing
Let’s use tissue paper to explore colour transfer and printmaking.
Toys
Printing with toys
Turn your child’s favourite toys into art with this printing with toys art activity.
Printing 2D shapes with 3D stamps
Explore 2D and 3D shapes in this math and art STEAM project.
Homemade stamps
Here’s a creative and easy printing making lesson for children using homemade art stamps.
Watercolour paints
Watercolour painting
Join in with this easy watercolour painting lesson for children to explore five simple watercolour techniques. This is an easy STEAM lesson that combines art and science. It encourages children to explore process art, and to think like a creative scientist and a scientific creative. It’s the perfect beginner lesson in watercolours for children.
Homemade watercolour paints
Here’s several ideas for how to make homemade watercolour paint recipes, with links to examples of famous art that use paint made from natural ingredients.
Wax crayon watercolour resist
Here’s a super art technique to try with kids that’s just right for winter months: wax crayon water paint frosty pictures.
Wax crayons
Wax crayon watercolour resist
Here’s a super art technique to try with kids that’s just right for winter months: wax crayon water paint frosty pictures.
Wax crayon or oil pastel scratch art
Scratch art is a classic children’s art project that everyone should try. It’s really simple to set up and uses wax crayons or oil pastels which are a good, sensory art material.
Day of the Dead skull scratch art
This scratch art technique it the perfect easy Day of the Dead skull art project.
Scratch art sunflowers
This scratch art sunflower art project is an easy art technique for children to explore and the results look gorgeous.
Willow / Twigs
Willow lanterns
How to make a paper lantern, using a simple willow frame.
Sunshine weaving
Here’s a very simple weaving project to make sunshines.
Twig weaving
How to weave with yarn on a twig frame.
Yarn
Yarn painting
This yarn painting process art idea is a great sensory project, combining the texture of the yarn with colourful paints.
More children’s art lessons and craft activities
Use NurtureStore’s extensive resources to find more great art lessons and craft activities for your children:
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